Cyber News Archives - Page 7 of 11

DoT and WhatsApp Unite to Launch ‘Scam Se Bacho’ for Digital Safety

DoT and WhatsApp have launched the “Scam Se Bacho” campaign to combat online scams and enhance digital safety. The initiative includes training and multilingual resources for citizens. On March 17, 2025, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and WhatsApp joined together to broaden Meta’s safety campaign against online spam and scams, known as “Scam Se Bacho. DoT and WhatsApp will collaborate to improve digital safety and awareness by teaching citizens how to spot and report suspected fraudulent communications. The initiative would include training workshops for field units, Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), Sanchar Mitras, and DoT officials. To increase the reach of Sanchar Saathi projects, WhatsApp will also collaborate with DoT to investigate ways to develop citizen-centric services via the WhatsApp platform. Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Meta, met with Jyotiraditya Scindia, the North East Region’s Union Minister of Communication and Development, to discuss the success of DoT and Meta’s continued partnership. WhatsApp (Scam Se Bacho) is taking preventive action against the misuse of telecom resources for financial fraud and cybercrime by collaborating with the DoT’s Digital Intelligence Unit and utilizing the data from DIP. “The best way to stop people falling victim to scams and online fraud is to make sure they know what to look out for and what they can do to stay safe,” said Kaplan. He said that by collaborating with the Department of Telecommunications, we can help provide Indians with the information they need to keep safe by fusing our technology know-how with the government’s dedication to public safety. As India moves on with its digital transformation, protecting our citizens’ safety and security is still of utmost importance, according to Sc india. “This dedication to shielding our citizens from deceptive communications and online threats is strengthened by our collaboration with Meta. We are stepping up efforts to make sure that our digital ecosystem is safe and robust for everyone by utilizing WhatsApp’s extensive online presence,” the minister stated. WhatsApp and DoT will also work together to create educational resources that will teach users how to spot and report online spam and fraud (Scam Se Bacho). Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Gujarati are among the regional languages into which all user safety materials will be translated to maximize accessibility.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Kanpur Loses ₹55 Lakh in Cyber Fraud Due to Misspelled Email Address

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Kanpur lost ₹55 lakh in a cyber fraud after scammers used a fake email address with a missing letter to alter bank details and divert funds. The incident is under police investigation. The most recent victim of cyber fraud was Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Kanpur, which lost Rs 55 lakh to cyber criminals after failing to recognize the missing letter “e” in one of the email addresses. The scammers altered bank account information and redirected the payment to their account while using an email address that was almost the same as that of an authentic American supplier. Vulnerabilities in high-stakes international transactions have been revealed by cyber fraud, which is currently being investigated by police. What happened? The public-sector aerospace and defence firm Hindustan Aeronautics Limited regularly purchases fighter aircraft parts from international vendors. The company was negotiating aircraft parts with PS Engineering Inc., a US-based corporation, in 2024. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited asked for a quote for three particular parts on May 3. The officialemail ID, gledbetter@ps-engineering.com. was used for all correspondence. However, unidentified cybercriminals who had probably been keeping an eye on the email exchange made the false email address jlane@ps-enginering.com, which just has the letter “e” missing from engineering. By using fake bank account information, the scammers pretended to be the vendor and persuaded Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to send the money. Before anyone realized what was going on, $63,405 (around Rs 55 lakh) was transferred into the incorrect account. When PS Engineering Inc. notified Hindustan Aeronautics Limited that they had not been paid, the fraud was discovered. When concerned HAL officials looked over their transaction history, they found the phoney email address. An official investigation was initiated after Ashok Kumar Singh, Additional General Manager of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Kanpur, filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the Cyber Police Station in response to the disclosure. In order to carry out the scam, investigating police believe the cybercriminals may have compromised the email systems of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited or intercepted communications. To determine the source of the phoney account and find the culprits, the police have enlisted the help of cybersecurity specialists from IIT Kanpur.

Digital arrest scam, a woman from Mumbai lost Rs 20 crore to scammers

Digital arrest scam : Two men posing as police officers duped an 86-year-old Mumbai woman of Rs 20.25 crore in a money laundering scam. The accused, who is part of an international fraud network, has been arrested. The 86-year-old woman in South Mumbai was virtually accosted by two men in December 2024 who pretended to be police officers. To resolve the matter, they forced her to transfer funds to several bank accounts and threatened her, saying that her Aadhar card had been used fraudulently in a money laundering case. Between December 26, 2024, and March 3, 2025, the suspected Rs 20.25 crore scam took place, according to the police. digital arrest scam the callers said that an Indian bank had opened an account in her name using her Aadhar card and other personal data. They informed her that this account had been used in a massive money laundering scheme and that police action was on the horizon. The accused intimidated her by threatening to report her and her family, including her daughter, to the police. They tricked her into sending money to their accounts by feigning a “digital arrest scam.” Shayan Jamil Sheikh (20) and Rajik Azam Butt, who reside in Malad (West) and Mira Road (East), respectively, have been identified as the accused. Both of the accused have been arrested by the police. A larger conspiracy The report stated that Butt is suspected of being involved in a larger international scheme, citing police sources. On the Telegram messaging service, he formed a group with thirteen foreigners, according to the police. He allegedly exchanged Indian bank account details with this group to assist in committing fraud. The authorities found Butt’s affiliation with a worldwide fraud network after searching Shayan and Rajik’s cell phones after they were arrested. He set up the Telegram channel, investigators discovered, to provide scammers in other nations with information about Indian bank accounts. Both accused, according to officials for digital arrest scam , were personally involved in the planning and execution of the crime and were members of a global fraud gang. Now, they’re looking into how many more bank accounts have been provided to the foreign masterminds.

WhatsApp DP ‘cloned’, Rs 50 lakh lost to fraud, Police arrest six people behind scam

WhatsApp DP ‘cloned’ are being used by cybercriminals in Kolkata to dupe businessmen, with one case involving a ₹50 lakh fraud. Police arrested six suspects and recovered over ₹24 lakh. Police added that a new trend among some of the city’s cybercriminals with ties outside the state is using phoney WhatsApp DP to defraud businessmen. Six persons, including three from the Mumbai suburb of Nallasopara, have been taken into custody on suspicion of copying a city merchant’s WhatsApp DP picture (DP) and using it to defraud the trader’s buddy out of ₹50 lakh, according to police. The retailer sells plywood under a well-known brand. A new trend among some of the city’s cybercriminals with ties outside the state is using phoney WhatsApp DP to defraud businessmen, according to police. According to the police, they have taken more than ₹24 lakh from the defendant. After a complaint was filed with the Park Street police station on March 4, an investigation was started. The last arrest was made on Pollock Street on 15 March 2025, according to the police, and the others had been made throughout the past few days. On March 1, the six-person group allegedly called a buddy of the merchant and requested him to set up ₹50 lakh after cloning his WhatsApp DP, according to the police. The caller said that he had an emergency and required the money in cash. “The gang asked the trader’s friend, who lived on Park Street, to arrange the money over the phone. The acquaintance obtained the sum from various sources and gave it to two of the six defendants who pretended to be the plywood merchant’s agents, according to a senior Park Street police station officer. The officer stated that the transaction happened on Park Street. The fraud was discovered within the following three days, and the merchant discovered that his DP had been used to defraud his friend. Following the pertinent parts of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including 338 (forgery), 336 (cheating someone by modifying electronic data or papers), and 340 (passing forged electronic documents as real), a case was prepared at Park Street police station after the businessman filed a complaint. Investigators started looking into local CCTV videos. They focused on a few of the defendants. All of the city’s police stations, as well as those throughout Bengal and even outside the state, received scanned copies of their (WhatsApp DP) photos. Three men, Waqab Mohammad, 28, Riya Razi Sayed, 36, and Sachin Manohar Prasad, 32, were taken into custody on March 13 by a Kolkata Police team that had travelled to Mumbai with the assistance of their counterparts in Nallasopara, the officer said. Along with the clothing the three were wearing on the day the money was turned up, a backpack that was used to hold the cash was found. They were also found to have five pre-activated SIM cards,” he stated. The authorities discovered during questioning that the three had committed the crime by using their contacts in Calcutta. Pawan Shaw, 36, was taken into custody in Phool Bagan on March 14. Mahendra Pal Singh, 39, and Chetan Singh Dahiya, 40, were taken into custody by the police on Pollock Street in the heart of Calcutta after they confessed. “A currency counting machine and more than ₹24 lakh were found on them,” the officer stated. “The entire plot has not yet been revealed.” A central Calcutta businessman lost over ₹2 crore in a similar scam last week. He was allegedly duped by scammers into utilizing internet payments to purchase expensive cameras from them. Fake WhatsApp DP for well-known camera vendors in the nation were used by the scammers. Following an investigation by the cyber wing, Kolkata Police assisted the dealer in recovering around ₹1.6 crore.

Digital arrests, cyber crimes tripled during 2022-24, govt tells Parliament

Digital arrest scams in India tripled from 2022 to 2024, with losses soaring 21 times to Rs 19,35.51 crore. The government blocked suspicious accounts and launched awareness campaigns to curb cybercrime. The Rajya Sabha was notified on March 12, 2025, that the number of digital arrest scams and associated cybercrimes in the nation nearly tripled in the middle of 2022 and 2024, with the amount of money deceived increasing by 21 times during that time. The Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, answered a question by giving details about digital arrest frauds and related cybercrimes that have been reported on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) during the previous three years. 39,925 of these occurrences were recorded in 2022, with the total proceeds of the fraud amounting to Rs 91.14 crore. The overall amount of cheated money recorded on the portal increased by an astounding 21 times to Rs 19,35.51 crore in 2024, while the number of such cases nearly tripled to 1,23,672. Data shows that 17,718 incidents totalling Rs 210.21 crore in fraud were reported up to February 28 in the first two months of 2025. “Cybercrime incidents reported for digital arrest on this portal, their conversion into FIRs and subsequent action thereon are handled by the state/UT law enforcement agencies concerned, as per the provisions of the law,” Kumar said. The Union Home Ministry’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has proactively detected and blocked around 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts that are used for digital arrest, the minister stated. In 2021, the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System was introduced under I4C to prevent financial fraudsters from stealing money and to enable prompt reporting of financial frauds. “nearly 13.36 lakh complaints have resulted in savings of nearly Rs 4,386 crore to date. For assistance in filing online cyber complaints, a toll-free helpline number, 1930, has been operationalized, according to Kimar. According to the minister, I4C and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) have started a caller tone campaign to increase awareness of cybercrime and promote the NCRP and helpline number 1930 to combat the threat. “The caller tune is also being played in regional languages, delivered 7-8 times a day by the telecom service providers (TSPs),” the minister said. The Central government and the TSPs have developed a method to detect and reject incoming overseas spoof calls that display Indian mobile numbers and seem to be coming from within India, Kumar said in response to a second inquiry about the matter. “TSPs have received instructions to block these inbound international fake calls. According to police officials, the Indian government has blocked 2,08,469 IMEIs and about 7.81 lakh SIM cards as of February 28, 2025,” Kumar stated. The minister responded to a follow-up question by stating that on September 10, 2024, 14C, in partnership with banks and financial organizations, established a suspect registry of cyber criminals for digital arrest. “So far, more than eight lakh suspect records and over 20 lakh mule accounts have been shared with the participating entities of the suspect registry, saving more than Rs 2,889 crore,” Kumar said.

Elon Musk claims ‘massive cyber-attack’ caused X outages

Elon Musk claimed a “massive cyber-attack” caused X outages on March 10, 2025, with possible ties to Ukraine. The disruptions occurred alongside ongoing challenges facing his businesses, including Tesla protests and a SpaceX rocket failure. On the afternoon of March 10, 2025, Elon Musk asserted that X was the victim of a “massive cyber-attack” that caused sporadic service interruptions that shut down his social network all day. For many users, the platform—formerly known as Twitter—had been sluggish, with posts failing to load. The CEO of the site wrote, “This was accomplished with a lot of resources, but we get attacked every day.” “Either a nation or a sizable, well-organized group is involved.” Thousands of reports of outages that first rose at around 5.45 am before settling down for a few hours were displayed by Down Detector, a tool that tracks outages on different websites and platforms. Midway through the day, there was a second spike in reported failures, most of which were on the company’s mobile app. When a tweet didn’t show up, it said “something went wrong” and advised users to try loading again. The world’s wealthiest guy made assertions without supporting documentation. In response to a Bitcoin influencer who implied that the downtime mirrored earlier criticism of Elon Musk businesses, he posted. Over the past week, there have been vandalism attacks against Tesla dealerships and protests against the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” project that Musk oversees. In an interview with Fox Business later that day, Musk reiterated his claim of a hack and speculated that the assailants may have been Ukrainian. According to Elon Musk, “A massive cyber-attack was launched to try to bring down the X system with IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area, but we’re not exactly sure what happened.” As ties have worsened between the Ukrainian government and the Trump administration, Musk has been harshly critical of it. Musk claimed over the weekend that if he shut down his Starlink satellite communications provider, the nation’s “entire front line” would fall apart. He also referred to Democratic Senator Mark Kelly as a “traitor” when the politician shared his trip to the country on social media. The CEO of SpaceX, who paid $44 billion to acquire Twitter in 2022, has also asserted that cyberattacks were to blame for earlier platform disruptions. Last year, Elon Musk claimed that a “massive DDOS attack” was to blame for the near-instantaneous meltdown of his live-streamed discussion with Donald Trump. The Verge was later informed by a company source, however, that there was no attack. The X outages are only one of many problems Musk’s companies and projects have been dealing with lately. One of Musk’s SpaceX rockets burst in midair on March 7, 2025, showering debris in the vicinity of the Bahamas. Tesla customers are selling their cars, the company’s stock price dropped on 10 March 2025 to its lowest level in months, and his auto company’s showrooms have been the subject of an Over the past week, there have been numerous “Tesla takedown” protests across the country. Following a heated meeting with Elon Musk and his cabinet secretaries, Trump said he might limit Elon Musk authority over government employees, whom the entrepreneur has fired in large numbers from some departments.

I4C’s ‘Pratibimb’ Module Revolutionizes Cybercrime Investigations with 6,000+ Arrests

The ‘Pratibimb’ module provides jurisdictional officials with visibility into the locations of offenders and crime infrastructure. The Lok Sabha received notice on March 11, 2025, that the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Union Home Ministry had introduced the ‘Pratibimb’ module, which tracks the whereabouts of criminals and has led to 36,296 requests for help with cyber investigations, 17,185 linkages, and 6,046 accused arrests. Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Minister of State for Home Affairs, responded to a query by stating that ‘Samanvaya‘, a platform for information sharing and analysis on cybercrimes, has been introduced for Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs). According to him, it offers data on the perpetrators and crimes linked to interstate connections in cybercrime complaints from different States and UTs. The ‘Pratibimb’ module maps the locations of offenders and crime infrastructure, giving jurisdictional officials visibility. Law Enforcement Agencies can more easily request and receive techno-legal support from I4C and other SMEs thanks to this module. 36,296 requests for assistance with cyber investigations, 17,185 links, and 6,046 accused people have been arrested as a result,” the Minister stated. He went on to say that I4C is an affiliated office established by the Ministry to coordinate and fully address all forms of cybercrimes in the nation. The state-of-the-art ‘National Cyber Forensic Laboratory (Investigation)’ was established as part of the I4C in New Delhi to provide early-stage cyber forensic support to State/UT Police Investigating Officers (IOs). According to him, the National Cyber Forensics Laboratory (Investigation) has so far assisted State/UT LEAs in about 11,835 cybercrime cases.

Cyber fraud losses in India have surged nearly 10-fold in a decade: finance ministry

Losses from Cyber fraud have more than doubled in just ten years, said Pankaj Chaudhary, Minister of State in the Union Finance Ministry, who made this announcement on 10 March 2025. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Mr Chaudhary said losses due to cyber frauds would increase from ₹18.46 crore in 2014-15 to around ₹177.05 crore in 2023-24. Last year, the cost of cyber scams during the first nine months of 2025 (April-December 2024) was ₹107.21 crore. He noted that the number of cyberfrauds involving ₹1 lakh or more increased from 815 in FY15 to 29,082 in FY24. This figure was 13,384 during the first nine months of FY25. Chaudhary stated, “Incidences of fraudulent practices, including digital payment frauds, have also increased in the last few years due to the country’s growing number of digital payment transactions.” The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs estimates that over ₹1.2 trillion will be lost by Indians due to cyber fraud in the coming year. The National Cybercrime Reporting Portal and the National Cybercrime Helpline Number (1930) have been established by the Union Home Ministry to assist victims of cybercrime, Chaudhary stated. According to him, the Department of Telecommunications has also launched the Digital Intelligence Platform and the “Chakshu” feature on the Sanchar Saathi website to allow people to report alleged fraudulent communications they have received through WhatsApp, SMS, or phone calls, including messages about bank account updates or KYC expiration. However, Chaudhary assigned the responsibility of preventing, detecting, investigating, and prosecuting crimes—including cybercrime—to states and union territories. “Through financial assistance and advisory services under various schemes for the capacity building of their LEAs (law enforcement agencies), the Central government complements the initiatives of the states/UTs,” he stated. By issuing alerts and advisories and conducting cybersecurity mock drills to enable evaluation of an organization’s readiness and cyber security posture, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) takes a number of steps to ensure the safe use of digital technologies and prevent cyber frauds, he continued.

Odisha Crime Branch’s Discover Rs. 87 Lakh Investment Fraud; Delhi Arrests Key Accused

The Odisha Crime Branch’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Cyber Crime Unit has successfully solved an investment fraud case, leading to the arrest of a major suspect in the Rs. 87 lakh scam. The victim, who worked for a private company, was added to the “101 Stock Discussion Group” WhatsApp group, where scammers pretended to be professors and other colleagues. By offering phoney stock trading advice, initial public offering (IPO) advice, and investment plans, they deceived the victim into making many deposits totalling about Rs. 87 lakh into different bank accounts. Mrs Vandana Bawa was captured in South Delhi by the CID Cyber Odisha Crime Unit following a comprehensive investigation that included the analysis of digital evidence and transaction data. An investigative team under the direction of Additional SP Ritesh Kumar Mohapatra made the arrest feasible. The accused would be transported to Odisha Crime on transit remand after appearing in the local court in Saket, New Delhi. The investigation team confiscated some incriminating items, such as a PAN card, an Aadhar card, an Indian SIM card, and a cell phone. After several bank accounts were closed, the complainant received a return of Rs. 10 lakh. The accused’s bank account was connected to two further cyber incidents in Gujarat and Kerala, according to an additional investigation of Odisha Crime. The CID is pursuing the money trail, other accomplices, and the crime’s trans-Indian repercussions. People are advised to exercise caution when they see unsolicited investment proposals on messaging applications and social media. To prevent being a victim of cyber scams, always confirm before investing. Report such issues to the local police station or the 1930 Cyber helpdesk. Protect Yourself Against Fraud Be wary of unsolicited messages and groups. Verify the authenticity of investment opportunities. Report suspicious activities immediately.

Tamil Nadu DGP’s Shreya Ghoshal Warning To Netizens

DGP Sandeep Mittal Alerts Public About Scams Involving Fake Advertisements and Compromised Celebrity Accounts on X Social media users on X (previously Twitter) have received a warning from Sandeep Mittal, the Additional Director General of Police for the Cyber Crime Wing in Tamil Nadu. He warned that false advertisements and news clips showcasing singer Shreya Ghoshal appeared on the network with dramatic headlines and deceptive connections to websites. In addition, the logos of prominent news outlets are displayed in these posts, which might easily fool readers. Sandeep Mittal, the ADGP, used X to spread the word about the problem. “Scam traps to lure the public into cyber scams are verified @X handles with 10 to 15 followers that promote Shreya Ghoshal ads,” he said. Stay vigilant and stay safe. @X ought to have a system in place to identify and stop handles that are overtly engaging in illegal activity. In the past, well-known singer Shreya Ghoshal alerted fans on Instagram that her X account had been compromised. “Hello friends and fans,” she wrote. Since February 13th, my Twitter/X account has been compromised. I have made every effort to get in touch with the X team. However, except for a few automatically created texts, there has been no response. I can’t log in anymore, so I can’t even deactivate my account.” People are urged to exercise caution and stay away from bogus links or messages from her hijacked account, as per her statement and the ADGP’s warning. Other celebrities have also been impacted by computer attacks, in addition to Shreya Ghoshal. Actor Swara Bhasker and comedian Tanmay Bhat both cited instances earlier this year in which their X accounts were compromised and used to disseminate fraudulent links.

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